Even after Loney Bowl loss, SMU football case still playing out in court
Court proceeding between Saint Mary's and U Sports took place in Ontario on Wednesday
Questions around the eligibility of a Saint Mary's University football player haven't been put to rest, even after the team lost the Loney Bowl to Acadia University on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, lawyers for Saint Mary's University and U Sports — the national governing body for university athletics in Canada — met with Justice Todd Archibald at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, but no decisions were made.
"We met with the justice and are continuing to pursue the matter, but not with the time frames that were put in front of us," said U Sports CEO Graham Brown. "The matter will continue now, but we will have time frames that are more reasonable."
Brown said he did not know when both sides would meet again.
An injunction from Saint Mary's University has prevented U Sports from releasing the results of an investigation into the eligibility of Saint Mary's football player Archelaus Jack.
Jack was on the practice roster of the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders until Oct. 11, 2016.
The eligibility rules of U Sports state that any player listed on a CFL roster after Aug. 15 must wait one year before joining a Canadian university team.
Jack played in every Saint Mary's game this season, including five games prior to Oct. 11. The school has argued its interpretation of the one-year rule is one academic year, not one calendar year.
In late October, U Sports and Saint Mary's struck a deal on Jack's eligibility.
According to court documents, in exchange for U Sports halting its investigation into Jack, Saint Mary's agreed not to pursue legal action against the governing body.
However, complaints from other universities prompted Atlantic University Sport to wade into the matter, resulting in the cancellation of the Loney Bowl last week.
U Sports may not announce findings
Brown said if Saint Mary's injunction is struck down, U Sports will decide then if it will release the results of its investigation.
In his decision last week, Archibald ruled that the agreement between Saint Mary's and U Sports was binding and the complaint about Jack should not proceed.
Saint Mary's legal battle has actually played out on two fronts. In addition to the injunction granted in Ontario, Saint Mary's sought — and was granted — an order in Nova Scotia Supreme Court to force the Loney Bowl to proceed.
Meanwhile, the Acadia University Axemen, the Loney Bowl champions, will play against the Western University Mustangs at Raymond Stadium in Wolfville, N.S. on Saturday.